Gain Tempo Precure!
by LoveLoveLovix
Summary: In the White Kingdom and Black Kingdom, the Precure warriors fight to save the world known as the Board from the evil King Xerxat. However, it seems like the Precure are nearing checkmate. Will the arrival of a brand new teammate help their strategy? Or is the Black King doomed to be captured?
1. First Move! The New Precure!

_Episode One: First Move! The New Precure!_

The desert was pale as the soldiers on the other side of the battlefield, and two very intruding things loomed in the distance- the sun, and King Xerxat of the White Kingdom.

Cure Brilliancy was normally quite good with history, but the heat of the day and the strange sadness of her earlier conversation with her partner made her head muddled and confused. Not good for a fight, no, not good at all. Her bright red hair covered her eyes and ears like a hood, making the top of her head hot, but allowing her a bit of comfort from the sun, helping her eyes avoid the glare. Without that distraction, her dark gaze was determined, ready to face the leader of the enemy she had fought for three years now.

She glanced to her side, to Cure Olympiad. Maybe it was just that she was small, or that he was growing more confident, but he always seemed tall to her, his spirit towering above his small stature. _Maybe I just look up to him, _she considered vaguely.

If they hadn't been in such a dire situation, she might have snickered at the pun. Brilliancy hated when others brought it up, but she really was tiny; she had to look up to _everyone, _at least she did if she wanted to look them in the eyes.

Olympiad turned to her and offered up an only slightly uneasy grin. His own dark blue hair, oddly colored in his Cure warrior form, was neater than hers. Altogether, he had a much more put together air about him, and Brilliancy was reminded that _he _was the leader. _He _was the one who would have the glory. But that was fine by her. She got to have fun, and there was significantly less sacrifice involved with being the backup.

A low murmur passed through the Black and White kingdom's forces, and Ast looked up to see Cure Purity join King Xerxat on the other side of the field. Her own blue hair, lighter than Olympiad's, swished beautifully, falling gracefully onto the frills of her white dress, and her weapon, a short, white wand, was held at the ready. Xerxat did not smile at her, Brilliancy noted, but then again, not many were smiling.

She and Olympiad, filled with hope... they were the exception, not the rule.

Then Xerxat spoke, words that could be heard throughout the battlefield but that Brilliancy somehow tune out, and the battle commenced.

The duo of Black Kingdom Precure had talked about what would happen. Soldiers would fight soldiers. The two Precure would team up against Cure Purity, hopefully converting her to their own side, using all the friendship and love they had... she had to have love in her heart, didn't she? That was what Nathan said made a Cure warrior. If all else failed, they would defeat her in beams of light and showers of hope, as they had defeated every other villain that crossed their path.

Then, they would move on to Xerxat. He would not attack until then, until his last underling was defeated. Hopefully, there would be three against one, but two against one would work as well. One against one would never work. It would also never happen, though... the strength of Olympiad and Brilliancy was through their love, and they would never separate at such an important time.

Olympiad ran forward, the Olympiad Ax charging. "Precure Tornado Strike!" he called as he brought it down. Winds flew from the weapon, clearing a path that lead halfway to Purity.

Brilliancy watched her partner run swiftly down the lines, deflecting the odd soldier who thought their experience with a sword or shield or mace made them qualified to take down a Cure warrior. As she prepared to follow him, however, the soldiers filled in the gap that he had made, swallowing the path. She frowned, losing her partner in the crowd as she fired up her own weapon, prepared to strike the intruders with flame and smoke.

A shift in the distant silhouette caught her eye, and she looked up.

Slowly, Xerxat advanced onto the battlefield. Instinctively, soldiers moved out of his way, back towards the other side. Already, Brilliancy felt the push and pull of the crowd moving against her, and she struggled to free herself of the wave and get to her partner. Where was he? She scanned the crowd for Olympiad, hoping he, too, was retreating, hoping he realized she wasn't with him.

Brilliancy pushed forward, finally finding him. He was far from her, and the way he was moving swiftly forward, jumping and landing over and over with the ease and grace only Precure had, she doubted he'd noticed she wasn't there. She assessed his movements, relieved to find that he was still headed for Cure Purity. That was good. She would meet him there, talk some sense into her old friend and partner, and they would face Xerxat together.

He ran past Purity.

_What is he doing? _

_He thinks I'm with him. He's probably talking, changing the plans since Xerxat isn't doing what we expected. He probably thinks I'm right behind, taking in what he's saying._

She pushed harder, attempting to get through the crowd with all her might, finally bursting out on the other side as she watched Olympiad strike the leader of the White Kingdom with his ax. Gripping her own sword tight, she ran for him, screaming his name. "Olympiad!"

He couldn't hear her. Of course not. She couldn't hear him calling out his attacks, his purifications.

Had he noticed she wasn't there yet?

Of course he had.

She passed Cure Purity, who simply watched her go. She could feel the enemy Cure's attention on her as she raced for her partner, screaming his name all the harder, watching him fight, hoping he could hold his own for just a few more moments...

Xerxat released a beam of pure white nothingness, aiming it at Olympiad. As it hit him, he crumpled, falling onto the ground.

Brilliancy skidded to a stop, eyes wide. "Olympiad," she whispered.

For a moment, all was silent, all were motionless. Even the thrashing of the battle behind her grew quiet as the Cure lay motionless.

Then the noise began again in a frenzy as Brilliancy ran all the faster to her partner, and the Black Kingdom soldiers attacked again, enraged by the defeat of their defender.

Xerxat turned and walked away slowly.

He was far enough away from Brilliancy when she arrived at the scene of the battle that he didn't face her wrath, whatever wrath she had, anyways. She had a choice; she could stay with Olympiad in his final moments, or she could attempt to defeat Xerxat and probably face the same fate that her partner had.

The thought was tempting. Olympiad would hate her for it. She took to his side.

"Brilliancy," he croaked with a pained smile.

She clutched him tight, choking back sobs. Oh god, she wanted to cry, she wanted to remain brave and strong and loving for him, but she wanted to cry, she wanted to _scream..._

"You're gonna make it," she promised, she lied.

He gave a short, coughing laugh. "Yeah... right."

So uncharacteristic. He was always the optimistic one. That was why he was a better Precure. That was why he was the leader.

"Olympiad, don't... don't talk."

"Why? It... it's the end now."

"No," Brilliancy insisted. "No. You're not allowed..."

He looked as though he tried to smile, he really did, but didn't manage it. Then, he shuddered, went still and quiet, and she held him tighter, finally allowing the tears to roll.

* * *

Kaitlin Bergeron woke with a start and a small cry, disoriented.

With a deep breath, she put her head against her pillows and snuggled deeply under the covers. Just a dream. No, not just a dream. The same dream she'd had for the last few nights, just... continued.

It was getting rather boring. At this point, the dream was just pacing up and down in a big, white cell. It hadn't always been like that. The first night of the dream, she had found herself in a large town, even, with things to see and explore. With people, people she could interact with. For the last couple nights, the most interaction she had got was a pair of eyes through a small slit in the door. It might not have been so bad, had the dreams not been incredibly long and lonely.

She shook her head and finally threw off the covers. They were just dreams, still. Nothing to worry about.

Especially not today.

In her half-awake haze, she had forgotten what the day was. It was an anniversary, though not a particularly happy one. Two years ago exactly, her cousin had died in a car accident.

Though not particularly close in age, Kaitlin and Skye had been close in spirit. He had been seven years older than her, but their interests and personalities were really quite similar. There had been one hobby they bonded over in particular, too, and that was chess. Kaitlin glanced over at her board instinctively as she thought about it. It was a lovely board, really, and normally she loved to simply _touch _it, never mind playing it. Out of habit, she picked up a piece with disinterest, stroking the glossy wood with her thumb before setting it down. No, she didn't necessarily feel like playing it today. She doubted her parents would either; they never took the same interest in the game that she did even on a normal day. Playing against herself, as she did sometimes, felt lonely.

It was like there was a hole, where her partner in crime and chess used to sit.

She couldn't remember the first time she played chess. She knew she was very young, young enough that she didn't fully understand it, more from her short, preschooler attention span than from her cousin's lack of trying to teach her. Eventually, a compromise of sorts seemed to be reached. Skye found ways to pique her childish interest, stories about the pieces and shorter lessons. Kaitlin simply grew a little older, and by five she had a basic understanding of the game. The proud gleam in Skye's eye when she proved her knowledge might have been the first thing she really _remembered _about chess, rather than had it recounted at her by her family.

She played chess with her parents until she could beat them. She taught her friends at school, when she started attending at age six. She enrolled in a class to learn more advanced things. To her parents and classmates, chess was a game, and it was a game she enjoyed.

Somehow, though, with Skye, it seemed _more. _It became a battle of wits, of tactics and strategy. The times she played with her cousin were her favorite matches. He almost always beat her (_almost_ always). Still, he managed to make even losses seem noble.

She asked him about it once.

"_It's a noble game. It's a game of thinking and of rules, but that doesn't limit your options. Within reason, anything can happen if you think hard enough and you have a good heart."_

"_What's having a good heart have to do with it?"_

"_The most powerful players are the ones who love the game and love their opponents." He grinned mischievously at her. "That's why I'm so hard to beat."_

"_I love the game too, Skye! And I love you too!"_

"_Yeah? Well then, maybe it's just that I've been playing since before you were born." He moved a piece slowly, deliberately. "You're in check, by the way."_

_Kaitlin sighed. "Maybe my heart just isn't good enough."_

"_Give it time," Skye said. "Soon you'll be just as powerful as... say, the queen."_

"_You think so?"_

"_Definitely. Queen Kaitlin. It has a ring to it, don't you think?"_

_She shrugged, unsure. "I guess."_

"_Hey, give it time to grow on you. You've got time."_

She was probably eleven at the time of that conversation, young enough to be dazzled by promises of kingdoms and royalty that Skye weaved, most if not all of them based on chess. Then, it must have become a running joke.

"_So, think I'm queen yet?"_

"_Don't get too cocky, Kaitlin. Just because you seem to be winning now doesn't mean you'll actually win."_

"_What's my heart feel like though, Skye?"_

_He snorted. "Like you're being overconfident."_

"_Fine. Be that way."_

"_I _am_ being that way."_

_She laughed and watched him make his move, analyzing her own possible choices of what to do, taking her time. He sat back, knowing it would be a while. "Maybe in a couple years you'll be on my level."_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Yeah. No promises, though."_

Come to think of things, that might have been their last conversation. He died two weeks later, in a car crash.

For a while, chess lost it's appeal, enough that she believed she would never play again. Kaitlin threw herself into other hobbies- horseback riding, soccer, even simple schoolwork. Though she hated her new timespenders, they kept her busy, kept her from remembering.

It didn't last long. She got a new board, her lovely wooden one, and again aimed for the top, though her top was quite different than most chess players would expect. Most players aimed to win tournaments, or play professionally. Kaitlin played to be the queen, even if she wasn't exactly sure what that meant.

In the present, her stomach seemed to cringe, as if it, too, were thinking far too much. She sighed and headed downstairs. It was quiet in the house, no laughing or talking or joking as usual.

She slumped into a chair silently. She was in the awkward place between tired and alert; she had gotten much less than her usual amount of sleep between staying up late the night before and waking early from the odd dream only minutes ago. She did not feel tired enough to justify a nap, nor awake enough to try to do anything. It was a bother, almost stupidly so.

She closed her eyes. If sleep wanted to come, it would come; if it didn't, it didn't.

It did.

* * *

"Asterisk, I'm telling you, it's time."

The young woman with the short black hair frowned. "Yes, yes, I know. What I don't know is why you're bringing this up _today_."

"You can feel it. You know."

Asterisk held an arm out, and her adviser took to it with ease, hanging upside down gently and stretching long black wings before continuing. "Within the last week, someone's heart has reached the proper conditions to become Pretty Cure. And with the way things have gone..."

"Yes, yes, Nathan, I _know." _Asterisk began listing things off, holding up fingers as she spoke. "The White King piece has been destroyed by Xerxat so he could take the throne. I hold one Queen, and Purity has the other. And the Castles have been missing since god-knows-when. I bet the pirates have them."

"I wouldn't jump to that conclusion, but..."

She interrupted the small bat. "So the only piece that is still in play, but isn't active, is the Black King piece."

"Correct."

"No way in hell am I giving a new Precure Olympiad's piece."

Nathan frowned. "It was never his piece, and you know this. It was simply the piece he used."

"What's the difference?"

"There will always be new Precure- like there is now, for instance- and there are only so many pieces in play. Especially now."

Asterisk grumbled.

"A new partner wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it? It would give the Black Kingdom hope again. Besides, you know better than anyone that one Precure alone can't defeat Xerxat."

"Maybe two isn't such a hot idea either."

"Asterisk..." Nathan pleaded. "_Cure Brilliancy..._"

She shook him off her arm, and he flapped his wings furiously, trying to stay in the air. "I told you not to call me Cure Brilliancy anymore! I told you that two years ago!"

"I simply thought if you had a new partner, you might want to go back to..."

"No. Call me Cure Jet or Asterisk or Ast or Queen Asterisk or something else, but I am _not _Cure Brilliancy."

Nathan landed on a nearby table. "Fine. Shall I send someone out?"

"You're not going yourself?"

"My duty is to you. There are others who can do the same things I can."

"Fine. Who's going?"

"You'll like her. She's quite young, but very determined. Her name is Catlin... and forgive me, my queen, but she's there already."

"Catlin? What kind of a name is _Catlin?_"

* * *

"Kaitlin!"

The sixteen year old girl woke to her mother shaking her lightly. "What? I- huh?"

"Dinner's ready."

"Oh..."

Sluggishly, Kaitlin got up, checking the clock out of habit. It was later than she would have expected; she must have been more tired than she knew. As if on cue, she yawned deeply.

A fluffy, furry bundle of brown snuggled against her, and Kaitlin picked up the kitten and held her close. The cat didn't seem to mind, allowing the young woman to pet her and examine the odd tortoiseshell markings that dotted her fur, seemingly at random, bar in one place. Right on the cat's tiny forehead, her markings looked vaguely like the top of a king piece in chess. The mark made Kaitlin, normally not much of a cat person (or a pet person in general), extremely fond of the clumsy little cat.

"Hey, Catlin," Kaitlin said as she scratched the cat's ears softly.

Her mother laughed. "Have you finally accepted her name, then? And to think it only took a week."

"I'm still not sure whether to be charmed or offended."

"She _seems _like a Catlin. It feels like that's what she's supposed to be named."

"Mom, you say that about everything and everyone."

"Perhaps. Ready to eat?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"You feel her presence?"

"Yeah. She must be here."

"Far away. The White Kingdom. And, if I'm not mistaken, she hasn't moved for the past six days."

Asterisk sighed and raked a hand through her short hair, then pet Nathan thoughtfully with the same hand. "Erin has her, I bet. Well, better go get her. Alert the castle, prepare to leave and... and bring the Black King piece."

"Yes, of course."

* * *

"Erin?"

The young woman looked up from her papers and forms, her hand immediately going to the engraved pendant that lay on her desk. "Asterisk," she said, not letting any emotion creep into her voice.

Sure enough, the young woman who slipped in was her old friend and counterpart, though she looked quite different than Erin was used to seeing her. Normally, she met the girl in her Cure form, whatever she chose to call it nowadays. There, her hair was windswept and red, her small body shielded by a red and black dress, armor only in the vaguest sense of the world.

In her civilian form, Asterisk was even smaller than she was as a Cure warrior, with black hair that was more messy than everything, and a similarly dark outfit. Though she was dressed in pants and a regal long sleeved shirt rather than a frilly frock, she seemed less intimidating. Erin smiled a little and took her hand off the pendant. "So," she asked, "to what do I owe the honor?"

"Nathan seems to think you got your hands on a girl with Cure potential? Or a boy," she hastened to add. "I'm not picky."

"Oh, believe me, I know."

"Jeez, Erin. Of all the things I didn't think I'd hear from _you _today..."

She smiled slightly and snorted delicately. "Anyways, yes. A girl with love in her heart found her way into the heart of the White Kingdom, so I may have detained her for a while. I knew you would come for her eventually, Ast."

"Yeah. Here I am. So... are you going to hand her over to me?"

"That depends."

"On...?"

"What you can hand over to me in return."

Ast sighed. "Isn't my eternal gratitude enough?"

"Not at this time. Maybe a few years ago, but we're past that, I believe. No, what I want is the Black King piece."

"Whoa!" Ast objected. "Without the piece, she can't become Precure, so what's even the point of a rescue mission?"

"Who's to say she can't? The Castles are still _technically _in play, even if they _are _missing. I'm sure if you put the Black Kingdom to it, they could find one. Then you have your new Cure, and she doesn't even have to _really _be your partner. Isn't that what you want?"

"I don't know the last time there was a Castle Cure. Even I'm not that sure of my luck." Asterisk frowned. "Why do you want the piece, anyway?"

"Acquiring the Black King piece means one less rogue Cure I have to deal with." Erin shrugged. "I'm sure you understand. It's nothing against you or the new girl."

Asterisk frowned, hair flopping messily over her dark eyes. "If I agree to give you the piece, you'll let her go?"

"Of course."

"You let her out first. Just so I can be sure you aren't lying."

"And how am I to be sure you aren't?" Erin questioned, raising one of her pale eyebrows.

Asterisk grinned, leaning forward and pulling a necklace out from under her shirt. Jet black, with a symbol that was composed of thin ovals and a single heart engraved into it, it dangled on a black silk cord. "Because I've got love in my heart. I'm a warrior for all that's good and all that jazz."

Erin raised her own pendant. Though the same symbol was carved into it, the strange substance it was made of was ivory white, paler than the woman's own skin. "Under that logic, this deal should work out just fine."

"So you'll release her?"

"If you agree to the terms, then yes."

"Great." Ast smiled mischievously. "I agree."

* * *

Kaitlin bounced a small white dream pebble off the pristine dream cell walls, catching it as it flew back to her. She'd never been athletic. Chess had always been her preferred game. However, six days in a prison, dream or not, was working wonders for her hand-eye coordination.

A small 'click' echoed in through the chamber, and she turned to see the door opening. Standing there were two women, one small and one tall. The smaller, darker one looked cocky and playful; the taller one, stern and familiar. Kaitlin frowned as it clicked- she had indeed seen that woman before, in the first night of her dream.

_The monster loomed over the city clad almost entirely in white, and though the people around Kaitlin looked afraid, they did not look surprised. It was almost as though this was an expected occurrence. Perhaps, she reflected, it was. _

"_Desperado!" it roared, flapping oversized wings that crashed into the buildings, shattering windows and causing stones to fall off and onto the ground. Talons scratched at the pavement of the road beneath it, and now people were running away, scared. Kaitlin should have run too, but it was only a dream, and anyway, there was a girl running towards the beast now._

_Pale blue hair flew in the breeze that she made as she jumped from building to building with strength, grace, and speed that shouldn't be possible. Her white dress, accented in the same color as her hair, also billowed gracefully, and she wore a cheerful smile on her face as she approached the thing._

"_The fair and beautiful warrior, Cure Purity!" she announced, before holding out her hand. A large, frilly wand appeared in it, topped in a design that reminded Kaitlin of a particularly lovely looking queen piece in a chess game. It glowed brightly; Kaitlin could see the brilliance even from a few blocks away, where she was. _

_The girl hit the monster with the wand, and it roared in objection, swiping at her. She moved deftly out of the way, jumping up, going so high that Kaitlin could barely believe it. _

_As she fell back down, she raised her wand high. "Precure!" she called, "Heartpiece Capture!"_

_As light came pouring out from the frills and lace of the weapon, the monster let out one more weak roar of "Desperado!" before disintegrating._

_Cure Purity picked something up from where the monster had stood and tucked it into her pocket. Then, she looked around. After a moment, her gaze landed on Kaitlin. The... what was she? A magical girl?Yes, a magical girl... stepped forward. "What are you doing here still? The streets are to be cleared for battles."_

"_Uh..." Kaitlin stumbled over her words. "I didn't know... sorry."_

_Purity frowned. "You didn't know? How could you not know? Did you hit your head?"_

"_No, I didn't hit my head. I just didn't know."_

"_Hmmm. You clearly have no idea what you're doing." Was it that obvious? "Come along with me and I'll take you somewhere safer."_

"_I-it's fine..."_

"_Nonsense! I won't have a demented girl like you wandering about the city."_

"_I-I'm not demented..."_

_But Purity had taken Kaitlin's arm and was pulling her through the streets already. "Where are you taking me?" Kaitlin asked weakly, unsure what to do._

"_The White Castle, where I live. I'll have my medics look over you."_

"_The castle? There really is no need for that, is there?"_

"_Of course there is! I am the White Kingdom's only Pretty Cure warrior, and one of only two known Precure in the entire world. I have a duty to look after my people, and whether or not you acknowledge the fact, that includes you."_

"_Thank you," Kaitlin said uneasily as they turned a corner and found themselves at the castle gates. _

_Purity waved her off. "No need for thanks. In return, I want you to tell me something."_

_Kaitlin nodded for her to continue, feeling quite worn-out and overwhelmed._

"_Do you possess a piece?"_

_Kaitlin frowned. "A piece of what?"_

"_Huh," Purity sighed, "Very interesting. Very unexpected. I suppose this is best, however. It's easier to keep you from getting a piece than it is to capture one that has already been bound."_

"_What?"_

"_I'm afraid I'll have to lock you up. It is, after all, for the good of my people."_

_Seemingly from nowhere, guards appeared, taking Kaitlin by the arms. She opened her mouth in protest, but no words came out, and she let them lead her through the immaculate, incredible courtyard and into the castle proper. The group marched through the entrance hall, where servants moved quickly and fluidly, through halls and halls full of doors. Finally, near to what Kaitlin assumed to be the very back of the castle, they stopped at a door. The guards pushed her into the room it led into roughly._

_As the door slammed behind her, the last thing she saw was Purity, looking at her coldly and speculatively. _

"So, it turns out I was right," Purity said coolly. "You do, in fact, have the heart of a Precure warrior, untainted by a heartpiece. Luckily for you, the queen of the Black Kingdom has agreed to trade your possibility for your life."

Kaitlin blinked. "What?"

"I'm sure she will explain it to you. Please, come out of the cell now so we can close this deal."

Tentatively, Kaitlin stepped out of the small room and into the white hall where the women stood. Purity nodded. "There," she said. "Now, Asterisk, give me the piece."

The darker woman... Asterisk? Was that even a _name?_... reached into a pocket in her shirt and pulled out a small pendant with a strange symbol engraved on it. Purity stepped forward, as if to take it, when Asterisk smiled suddenly.

"Hey, kid," she said. "Catch."

And suddenly, the pendant was flying at Kaitlin. Her eyes widened as she raised her hands to her face, protecting her rather delicate eyes and nose from the projectile.

Her eyes widened farther as her fingers curled over the smooth stone that the thing was made of, and she blinked, impressed with herself. Six days bouncing a stone off a prison wall apparently made a difference when it counted.

Purity frowned. "This was _not _part of the deal, Asterisk."

"Like you didn't know it was coming."

"I thought you said I could trust you- what was that about goodness and light, love in your heart?"

Asterisk snorted. "By that logic, you'd be just as honorable."

"Fine. Never mind then." Purity turned to Kaitlin. "Give me the piece or I'll be forced to resort to drastic measures."

"Wait," Asterisk frowned, "You can't mean you'd summon a Desperado in your own castle?"

"I will do whatever it takes to acquire the Black King piece. If that means destroying a part of my castle and one teenage girl, so be it." Purity sniffed and stared directly into Kaitlin's eyes. "I suggest you simply hand over the piece now. If you do, I'll spare your life, which is more than I should considering I have already been played once today."

Kaitlin looked down at her hands, still gripping the black pendant. She didn't know what was so important about it; it was pretty, but it didn't seem like much. "I-I..." she stuttered.

"Oh my god," Asterisk said, pushing past Purity to get to Kaitlin. "Hey kid, I'm really sorry for this, but I can't think of anything else to do."

"Huh?" said Kaitlin.

In answer, Asterisk raised her fist and smashed it onto Kaitlin's face.

* * *

She woke up in her bed, face aching and hands clutching the pendant that Purity and Asterisk argued over. The clock flashed 5:49 am in red digits that cast a soft glow upon everything, including the chessboard in the corner, and through the crack of her open door she saw another soft light in the hall. The door creaked as it opened slightly more, and Kaitlin watched Catlin enter. The girl patted her bed invitingly, shakily, and the kitten jumped up, purring.

"I just had the weirdest dream... only it wasn't a dream, cause now my face hurts and I have this _thing, _and..."

Kaitlin trailed off as Catlin walked matter-of-factually to the pendant and batted it away. "Hey!" she protested. "That's a... that's a something!"

"It's a piece," Catlin said, "and it's very powerful and very important that you bind it to you immediately-myu!"

"You talk! But... but... but you're a cat!"

Catlin meowed as though it was an affirmative answer. "What's your point?"

"You can't talk!"

"I just did-myu!"

"Oh," she said, rather daftly.

"Now, enough about whether I can talk or not-myu! You must bind the piece with the power of Pretty Cure, the power you must grant yourself!"

"Pretty Cure? Like that Purity girl?" Kaitlin shuddered.

"Not at all like Purity-myu! You're much better! Kaitlin, grab the piece and raise it to your heart. Then, repeat these words: 'Precure! Advance me-myu!'"

Kaitlin positioned the pendant over her heart. "Precure! Advance me-myu!"

Catlin swiped at Kaitlin with one paw. "No need to make fun of me-myu! Say the thing properly-myu!"

"O-oh," she stumbled. "Sorry. Uh, Precure! Advance me!"

The girl didn't know what she expected, but she definitely did _not _expect the necklace to _glow._

* * *

Author's Note: Gain Tempo Precure, or GTPC, is a double fanseries based on the Pretty Cure franchise by Toei and the lovely original story D8 by Tonniwott on fictionpress (she also drew the cover image!). I have permission from Tonniwott to use her characters, situations, world, etc for this crossover of sorts (I say of sorts because absolutely no knowledge of D8 is required to understand GTPC. In fact, knowledge of D8 will spoil stuff, so if you're the impatient type (or even if you aren't) I recommend reading it. She is far better an author than I am).

Please enjoy and if you do (or don't), I would love to hear your comments!


	2. Heartpiece Capture! Grandmaster's Debut!

_Episode Two: Heartpiece Capture! Cure Grandmaster's Debut!_

"Did you just knock the poor girl out?" Erin demanded.

Asterisk shrugged. "I couldn't think of anything else to do."

The pale woman pushed her tiny counterpart out of the way and bent down to examine the new Precure's body. She was definitely out cold.

With a sigh, Erin pried the young girl's fingers opened, intending to take the piece herself. However, there was nothing clutched in the girl's hands; nothing laying around her, either. It was as if the piece had simply vanished. "Where did it go?" she demanded of Asterisk.

Ast laughed. "I know you can't jump worlds, Erin, but I expected even you to know that pieces can only exist in one place at a time."

"What?"

"Never mind." Asterisk laughed a little more, then sobered. "Just don't worry about it. I suspect that we'll see the piece again as soon as she wakes up."

* * *

Light swept over Kaitlin, surrounding her. On all sides, she saw it; dark pink, with swirls of white and black. Stars seemed to surround her, their warmth burning off her pajamas and replacing them with a rose pink tank top that bared her midriff and matching gloves that covered the majority of her arms. With a light swish, a grey skirt settled on her hips, complete with a sash-like belt. Under it, she could feel skin-tight shorts, and pink ballet flats adorned her feet. As she shook her head, she saw that her hair, too, was pink.

As a grey bow swirled dramatically onto the top of her shirt, pulling the strange outfit somewhat together, she raised a hand instinctively, saluting and calling out words she couldn't quite figure out _why _she was saying. "The hopeful and brilliant challenger- Cure Grandmaster!"

Then the light faded, and she was back in her room. The clock flashed 5:50 am.

"Perfect-myu!" Catlin cried, kneading the blankets happily. "The piece is now bound to someone for the first time in two years! Congratulations on becoming a Precure-myu!"

"Th-thanks, I guess," Grandmaster said, examining herself and her outfit closer. "But... what am I supposed to do now?"

"Go to sleep!"

"Go to... what?"

"Get back in bed, close your eyes, and go to sleep! You do want to save the Board, don't you?"

"The... Board?"

"Exactly!" Catlin said encouragingly. "Sleep tight-myu!"

She was still shaken by her sudden transformation, and the instructions did not seem clear to her. Perhaps it was her confusion that led her not to argue, but simply roll under the covers and close her eyes.

With Catlin watching guard and the strange clothes brushing against her in strange new ways, sleep did not come easy. It did, however, come at last.

* * *

"She's waking," said Erin. "I hope you're right about the piece being here when she wakes... however that would work."

"Relax. The worst that could happen is she set it down somewhere, and I knock her out again so she can pick it back up."

Erin snorted. "You say that so casually. I always wonder how you claim that _you're _the one on the side of good."

"You can be good and still have brilliant and slightly violent ideas. I mean, there's a reason for my old Cure name, huh?"

"There is. 'Cure Jet' doesn't suit you nearly as well, Asterisk."

"That isn't yours to decide, Erin."

The girl stirred, and her clothes shimmered and changed as she woke. Ast grinned. Perfect. It had been a risky move, knocking the girl out... she'd already been quite sure that the girl had a the ability to cross the Gambit Stream, but while in the Outside world, she could be doing _anything, _and all without proper instructions. She might have put the piece down, or even lost it. But no; she transformed, just as Asterisk had hoped.

As she got up, almost tripping over her own shoes, Erin frowned. "You've bound the piece. Asterisk, you knew this would happen."

"I didn't," she admitted. "I hoped though."

"You do realize that now I have to take the Black King by force?"

The girl groaned, as if she realized exactly what Erin meant, though she probably wasn't quite awake enough to.

Erin reached gracefully for something in her pocket, and for a moment, Ast thought she might pull out her own pendant, initiate a real Cure-versus-Cure battle. But no; she only seemed to save transforming for when her people were watching now. Ever since Xerxat had given her a taste of his own abilities, she had no real need for her second form. It served only to be a ruse. To convince her people that their protector was still one of the good guys.

None of them knew only death or willing sacrifice could separate a person from their piece, after all. Erin could _be _Xerxat, and she'd still look like a Pretty Cure warrior in the eyes of the masses.

As Erin removed her hands from her pockets, Ast saw that she now held a small, white bell. "You aren't seriously going to do it," she remarked. "You put too much pride in your castle."

Erin frowned. "You aren't the only one who gets to be a bit unpredictable, Ast." She raised the bell regally and shook it, once, twice, three times. "Bind, Crush! Come forth, Desperado!"

White lightning shot from the quavering white bell, shattering it, and Asterisk knew from experience that the closest servant to Erin, probably only several rooms away, just fainted. Whatever was left of the bell grew in size... the thing acted like an egg, fertilized with pure desire. As the rate of growth slowed, Ast stared up at a large, sentient hammer. "Desperado!" it sounded, shaking the ground itself.

Ast raised an eyebrow. She hadn't pegged Erin for doing as she threatened- even if it was so coldly calculated, enough that Erin had threatened it rather immediately, it also seemed fairly reckless, like something Ast herself would do.

_Never mind that_, she thought. _Only one thing to do._

She pulled out her piece and positioned it over her heart. "Precure! Advance me!"

As the stars of the transformation changed Asterisk from her tiny dark-headed civilian appearance into a more fantastical form, she smiled. Erin didn't think she'd let the new girl go without a _fight_, did she? Her red and black dress popped on, followed by slouchy boots and mismatched arm warmers. As she posed, hands reaching high as if she were trying in vain to get to that blasted top shelf that she could never reach, her grin widened. "The sable, miraculous player!" she called out. "Cure Jet!"

Transformed, Jet pulled the other Cure up. The girl rubbed her eye with a gloved arm and groaned. "What's going on?"

"Well, you're a legendary warrior and there's a rampaging giant hammer on the loose," Jet answered cheerfully.

The girl groaned. "Never mind. I really _am _dreaming, aren't I?"

"Nope. Now, help me fight this thing."

"F-fight?"

Jet glared, appraising the taller girl. "Yeah? What else would we do? Run away? You're a Precure now, act like it!"

"I don't know how," she sniffled.

Jet closed her eyes in frustration and held out her hand, summoning her sword. "Just follow my lead," she said slowly, condescendingly, and she jumped up, bringing her sword down on the giant hammer beast.

It roared in protest and aimed towards the other Cure, who was standing still in shock. From a good distance away, Jet saw Erin watching with cold eyes. She would not get involved in this fight, no. Not unless it came to her.

"Come on, kid!" Jet yelled towards the girl standing frozen. "It'll kill you if you don't fight!"

"B-but..."

"No buts! Punch it!"

With what sounded like a whimper, the Cure threw a very pathetic punch at the hammer. Jet rolled her eyes as the hammer thing staggered back, only about three steps worth... three of _her _steps, barely covering any distance of all. She supposed the only reason it moved at all was that the girl had not yet realized her own enhanced strength. Sure enough, the girl was now staring at her hands as if she had never seen them before. Despite the gravity of the situation, Jet let out a low chuckle.

Then, she let her weapon vanish and punched the monster herself from the other side, putting all her weight into it. The giant hammer went flying... right into the new girl.

"Owwww," she groaned.

"Don't be such a wimp," Jet yelled. "Hit it again!"

This time, the girl managed to hit harder, batting the Desperado back towards Jet as though it was a ball. Still, it barely seemed enough. Jet sighed. "Come here, kid," she ordered.

The girl scampered to Jet's side. "Now," the veteran Cure ordered, "hold my hand."

"Hold your hand?"

Jet didn't respond, merely choosing to grab the girl's hand herself. The pink-clad warrior let out a yelp of surprise. "Repeat after me. Precure Heartpiece Capture."

"Precure Heartpiece Capture."

"Great. Now, say it with me on the count of three. Loudly. One, two, three..."

"_PRECURE HEARTPIECE CAPTURE!" _the two young women yelled in unison.

A beacon of shining pink light burst from their entwined hands. It hit the hammer, and he let out a halfhearted roar as it faded and disappeared. A single round glass-looking bead fell to the ground in its place.

Jet picked it up and handed it to the other girl. "Put it in your belt."

"What?"

"Touch the heartpiece to your belt."

The girl did, yelping as it disappeared in a flash of light. "What was that?"

"I'll explain later." Turning to Erin, Jet smirked. "So, do you want to fight now? Or can we go?"

Erin frowned. "I'm bored with trying to force you to behave. I don't care _what _you do."

"Fine. We'll be in the Black Kingdom if you need us."

"Great."

Jet took her new comrade by the hand. "Come on. I know a secret way out of the castle. Let's bounce before we're found."

"W-what's going on?"

"I'll explain on the way."

* * *

Kaitlin never was good on horses. Not even when she wasn't Kaitlin, but was instead Cure Grandmaster. It was lucky that the mysterious and rather bossy Cure Jet seemed to be a fairly decent equestrian, and that Grandmaster's own horse was perfectly content to follow Jet's.

She clutched her horse with all her strength, feeling sick to her stomach from the movement and the smell. In an attempt to distract herself, she looked at Jet, just ahead of her. "Who are you?" she asked. "Who am I? What's going on?"

Jet stopped, and Grandmaster's horse did as well. Then, the small girl flipped around effortlessly so she was sitting backwards on her horse, facing Grandmaster. "I'm Cure Jet, queen and defender of the Black Kingdom, nice to meet you."

"Qu- what? I, um, ah- your majesty, I..."

"Call me Jet. Or Ast, when I'm in my normal form."

"Oh... okay. What's going on?"

"You've achieved the conditions necessary to become Pretty Cure, and obviously, you've bound the piece to yourself, which means you're a warrior now. Congratulations." She kicked the side of her horse, and both began to walk again, though she did not turn around.

Grandmaster frowned, confused. "But what does that even mean?"

"When we get to the Black Castle, I'll have Nathan explain." Jet paused and turned back around so she was facing forward. "We'll reach the Black Kingdom by dawn if we ride without breaks."

"Uh- I'm not used to riding, so..."

"I know. So we'll take breaks. We'll reach the border around midday. Then we'll walk until we can get a carriage."

"Isn't there a faster way?"

"Not really. No."

"Can you afford to be away so long?" Grandmaster questioned hesitantly. "I mean... you're the queen, right?"

Jet threw her head back, laughing loudly. "They can manage without me! It's not like I do anything worthwhile anyway!"

"Oh."

There was silence for a moment, then Grandmaster looked down at her clothes. "Um, I hate to ask this, but this is kind of uncomfortable to ride in. Is there any chance I could go back to normal?"

* * *

Hours later, Ast awoke with a start. Her eyes searched the landscape of the White Kingdom, pale and cold, for brown hair... the girl, the new Cure. Kaitlin.

There was a strange, unnerving sense of familiarity to Kaitlin, to Grandmaster, and Asterisk could easily place it. Kaitlin reminded her of Skye. They had the same reaction to new things... panic, confusion, forlornness. They had the same brown eyes. They had the same sort of heart.

_Could she be... _

No. That was crazy. Ast laughed at her own foolish thoughts. Out of the millions of people in the Black and White Kingdoms, not to mention the people from elsewhere, the chances that Skye and Kaitlin had any relation was insane. Of course, she was a generally insane person, but she wasn't _that _insane.

Ast stood and went to the horses to tend them, connecting thoughts together in her brain as she did so. Even unrelated to Ast's former partner, Kaitlin was important. She was a key piece in Ast's plan, the plan she had been thinking of for so long.

She crossed over to the sleeping girl and shook her. As Kaitlin woke, rubbing her eyes groggily and looking quite confused, Ast smirked with pride at her own genius. "Come on," she said to the taller girl. "We're going."

"Oh, okay. Are you... are you alright?"

Another similarity to Skye; she was perceptive. "I'm okay," she said, not ready to reveal herself just yet.

Kaitlin shrugged and let it go. She got up and started walking over to her horse. However, halfway there, she paused. "How come the woman in the White Kingdom didn't just attack us herself? She's one of us too, right? A Precure? Couldn't we just fight? Why'd she summon that big thing?"

Ast blinked. Maybe Kaitlin was _too _perceptive. "Let's just say we used to be rather friendly, the two of us."

Kaitlin raised an eyebrow in question, but Asterisk pretended she didn't see it. Some things weren't worth getting into, and others just weren't worth getting into when you were tired, it was still dark and chilly out, and you were in enemy territory.

"Come on," Asterisk said, "Let's get going."

* * *

Nathan was doing his best not to worry. Asterisk rarely went anywhere without him, and she hadn't intended to go to rescue the new Precure without him either. It was, really, his own fault that he had stayed behind. He had no intention of going to the White Kingdom ever again, if he could help it. Not after last time, no.

Ast needed him, though. It felt like he was letting her down. Even when she nodded when he said he intended to stay, even when she told him she understood his reasonings.

He heard something shift next to him and turned to the sound. "Hello?"

"Oops, did I scare you?" questioned the voice of a young female fairy who had recently started working at the castle. Miris, her name was. "I didn't mean to."

"You're fine."

"Are you okay? Do you need any help?"

"No... I'm thinking." He wasn't quite sure what question he was answering.

"About the queen?"

"About the queen."

He heard a shuffle; he suspected Miris was sitting down. "Do you think she'll return soon?" she asked.

"She will." He turned to where he suspected Miris was, his voice ringing with confidence. There were a lot of things he suspected his Cure partner would do... abandoning her friends, her throne, her duties... that was not one of them. "Probably quite soon, in fact."

"Weren't you to go with her?"

"I was."

"If you don't mind me asking..."

"I chickened out." He said it with no regret, no shame in his voice. At least, he hoped that was how it came out. There was no shame in his fear. After all, it was far from irrational.

"...I would have too. I... I _hate _the White Kingdom!" she exclaimed, and he could hear tears, her voice coming out in small sobs. "What they did to you... what they did to all of us! It's horrible! Don't you hate them for it?"

"I don't _hate _them," Nathan said slowly. "If I did, I wouldn't be a very useful advisor for any Pretty Cure, and especially not the queen. That said... I don't necessarily _like _them. Hate is a very strong word, Miris. This is war, but it is still very strong."

"But I feel it!" the young fairy said angrily, still obviously crying. "I hate them for blinding you? What purpose did it serve?"

He didn't answer, instead putting a hand next to one of his eyes. It had been two years since the magic blast that left him sightless, and some days he did nearly hate them for it, but he had seen too much of what hatred did. It was, after all, what was behind his loss of sight, in some form.

"I hate the White Kingdom," Miris reiterated.

"I know."

"They did this to you."

"They did."

"How can you be so calm about it? Doesn't it upset you? Don't you think it's unfair?"

"I do. It is unfair. But I've grown accustomed to it."

Miris sniffled and stood up. "Do you want me to take you somewhere? Maybe the food hall? I'm hungry."

"I am too," he replied. "Thank you."

"It's the least I can do."

* * *

They arrived in town as evening started to fall. Kaitlin looked around the Black City curiously. It was quite different than its White counterpart, with the white buildings and pale people. Here in the Black Kingdom, the majority of the people, buildings, and even the roads beneath them were darker, eerier. The colors lent a gloomy tone to the city, but light still shone through the windows, and the young girl could hear the laughs of children and adults alike.

A small group of wolves ran by, talking excitedly. Kaitlin gaped. "Did those animals just..."

"Not animals. Fairies," Ast explained sharply. She raked a hand through her short black hair. "Jeez, I guess I forgot you hadn't met any fairies. Just... treat them the same as the other people you meet and you'll be fine. And don't call them animals for Christ's sake. They really don't like that." Asterisk winced, as if remembering something unpleasant.

They stopped at a small, warm tavern. Word had obviously gotten around that the queen was in town; a large group had gathered around them. As Ast slid off her horse, Kaitlin half expected her to shoo the crowd away. After all, the Cure had seemed nothing if not impatient and intolerant of things she disliked, so far at least.

So when Ast began to talk and laugh with the villagers, it was a tad of a surprise.

Kaitlin blinked and dismounted. Ast, surrounded by her subjects and now holding a mug of something, did not seem to notice. Not even when Kaitlin found herself suddenly surrounded by a crowd of her own, mostly very, very inquisitive children asking all manner of questions. She glanced over at her new friend, but Asterisk seemed quite busy herself.

She was about to answer some of the questions when a scream echoed through the square.

Ast glanced over at Kaitlin, then waded through the crowd so that she was close enough to be touched and talked to. "That's our cue. Ready to go?"

"Ready to go?" Kaitlin repeated dumbly.

"Normally when someone screams, something's happening. And normally, it isn't good, and normally, they need someone to stop it. That's us. Ready?"

"I... uh... sure."

"Alrighty! Let's do this!" Ast flashed a grin and grabbed her piece, Kaitlin following the veteran Cure's lead. The two smiled at each other, Ast conspiratorially and Kaitlin a tad uneasily. Then, they yelled the phrase that let them transform in perfect, unrehearsed unison.

"_PRECURE! ADVANCE ME!"_


	3. Precure Lessons? A Day With The Queen?

"Good morning, madam!" a strange, feminine voice said the next day.

Kaitlin groaned and rolled over. She had only just gone to bed at home, after spending most of the day looking for Catlin, who seemed to have completely disappeared. It was frustrating, to say the least... she knew it was in the nature of cats to disappear suddenly and reappear again later, but without Catlin, there was nobody in her real life to grill about the sudden magic.

Still, she had figured a few things out on her own. First, when she was asleep in one world, she was awake in the other. Second, her piece was with her no matter what world she was in, and she could always transform into Pretty Cure as long as she had it. And three, the world she was in now was significantly technologically behind her own world.

A small, fuzzy pair of hands shook her. "Madam!" the voice said again.

Finally, Kaitlin sat up, almost knocking a tiny pink rabbit to the floor. A fairy. "Sorry!" Kaitlin exclaimed. "I didn't mean to..."

"Quite alright!" the fairy chirped cheerfully, bowing quickly. "I was sent to tell you... Her Royal Highness, Queen of the Black Kingdom has requested your presence in the food hall. I'll lead you there, if you wish me to."

"Oh... that would be great," Kaitlin said lamely. She uncovered and got out of her bed, fumbling as she made sure she looked vaguely presentable. For better or for worse, she didn't have to change her clothes... she only had her Cure form to change into, after all, they had yet to find her anything other than that and what she was already wearing.

The fairy walked over to the door and motioned Kaitlin to follow. When she saw that Kaitlin was, she left and began making a path through the corridors and into the food hall. Then, the fairy nodded encouragingly and disappeared through the winding halls of the castle.

The room's setup reminded Kaitlin of the movies and stories she'd seen and read about the times of Earth's own castles and kingdoms. A long table was set up in the very center of the room, with benches flanking both of the long sides. At the head, Ast sat in a large, throne-like chair, slouching and seeming rather relaxed. As she saw Kaitlin enter, she perked up, sitting straigher. Her face split into a wide, happy grin. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, uh, your majesty..."

Asterisk frowned. "Didn't I tell you to call me Ast?"

"I'm sorry, it's just, that fairy made me realize. You really are the queen, aren't you?"

"You doubted it?"

"Well, no, it just didn't really... sink in."

"Oh yeah? Well, come and sit down and eat, anyway."

Ast patted the seat next to her and Kaitlin walked over and sat down. As she did, Ast took some strange foods from platters and fixed her a plate with quite a variety, setting it silently in front of her. Kaitlin looked at it, and then around at her surroundings. It seemed as though an entire castle's worth of people were eating their breakfasts... not just people, but fairies as well, mixed in with the humans.

One fairy, sitting across from her, took the shape of a particularly large, particularly adorable vampire bat. A small part of Kaitlin wanted to pick him up and squeeze him, but considering that she was supposed to treat fairies as she treated humans, she decided it might seem rude.

"This is Nathan," Ast said, apparently noticing Kaitlin's staring. "He's my advisor. Nathan, this is Kaitlin. She is... you know. As we discussed."

"Your advisor?" Kaitlin questioned, then quieted, suddenly worried that the questioning tone might be rude as well.

Nathan smiled. "I suppose I don't look very good at advising in this form. One moment."

Then, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, and a rather unremarkable looking man took his place. Unremarkable, that was, but for his eyes, which stared unseeingly at Kaitlin.

"What happened to your eyes?" the young girl blurted out before thinking. Then, she blushed. Oh, she was being rude. "Is it because you're like a bat?" she added on, in a pathetic (and likely, even ruder) attempt at damage control.

Asterisk and Nathan seemed to exchange looks, though that was quite obviously impossible. The queen touched her hand to his shoulder as well.

"Two years ago, I was captured by the White Kingdom," Nathan said. "They blinded me with magic. A blast to the eyes in my human form." Kaitlin opened her mouth to question further, but Nathan seemed to guess her reactions and waved her quiet. "It transferred over to my normal form as well, yes. I am completely sightless."

Kaitlin sucked in a breath and managed to get in a question. "But... why?"

"I'm not sure of their reasoning," Nathan admitted. "Information, probably."

Ast sat up a little straighter. "Enough about that. The reason I called you here is simple. You're a Precure. You're a really awful Precure, if your first two battles are any indication. You need training, and you need answers. Between Nathan and I, I'm sure we can give you enough so that you aren't killed. Well, at least not killed _immediately. _In the end, no amount of training or information can top pure talent, in this line of work, at least."

The queen stood and held out her arm. "Come on," she said, and Nathan poofed back into his bat-fairy form, swooping over and hooking onto Ast's arm with ease. The two were obviously used to it.

Kaitlin stared for a moment at her still mostly full plate. She had barely taken three bites of the unfamiliar food. With a sigh, she rose from the table and followed the veteran Cure and her advisor from the hall.

* * *

"To start, you should know where you are," Ast decided, pacing back and forth. She had ordered a small classroom set up for the purpose of training Kaitlin, with a map taking up most of one wall, and a desk and chair for her student to sit at. Unfortunately, neither her or the servants tasked with the room remodel had thought to put in a chair for the queen herself. It was getting rather uncomfortable already.

On the bright side, she was actually taller than someone for a while. That was a bit of a plus.

Ast tapped the map with one finger. "The entirety of this map makes up the world of the Board. It is mainly divided into the Black Kingdom..." She tapped the left side of the map. "...and the White Kingdom." She moved her hand over to the right side.

"It's pretty much always been like that, and the two sides never did like each other, but their rulers and protectors, the Pretty Cure... Precure, for short... kept them civil. That is, until a few generations of Cures ago, when a powerful magician warrior known as Xerxat rolled into town."

Ast took a deep breath and grew solemn. "Nobody knows quite what or who he is, nor how his powers work. For a while, he was thought to be a Pretty Cure gone bad, but the eight pieces that could bestow Precure powers were all safe in the hands of their own warriors! His lack of Precure magic was proven when he destroyed the White Kingdom's defenses... when he crushed its leaders. Unable to use the pieces, he destroyed one and locked the other away."

"Here in the Black Kingdom, that same amount of years ago, two of the Precure vowed that they would not only protect their part of the Board, but also restore the White Kingdom. The other four Pretty Cure ran away and hid, and their pieces remain lost to this day." Ast paused. "Well, in legend. Truth be told, I'm pretty sure that the pirates have them."

"Wait, pirates?" Kaitlin squeaked.

"We'll touch on that more later. Anyway, so the Black Kingdom Cures passed the pieces down through their spiritual successors and royals, and Xerxat ruled and the kingdoms warred, neither gaining any ground on the other. Until a few years before I, myself, became Precure, when the first Cure of one of the White Kingdom pieces in many years was revealed... Purity."

"She had been granted the power by Xerxat himself, but did not always use it for him. Many times, she fought with me and my partner, Cure Olympiad. For a while, it seemed as if we could pretend at war while really living in peace. But that wasn't to be. Some say Xerxat got mad. He probably did. One day, Purity came to battle against us, and she had a new power, one that allowed her to summon Desperados. She was not the only one. He had gathered a small, I don't know, too small to be an army. Like a little club, I guess. He had gathered a club of people who could summon them and set them against us. They don't have a proper name, so I just call them the Patzer Three."

"Of course," Ast grinned, "It's double-edged. The Heartpieces we gain when we defeat a Desperado give us a teeny-tiny power boost. They can harvest them too, though, but they have to worry about using the Desperado to inflict damage. We just have to stop the things."

"By fighting them."

"Yeah. Which, by the way, you need more practice with." Ast walked to the door. "Come one. Let's get going."

* * *

The courtyard had been cleared by the servants, so there was a large, empty space just waiting to be practiced in. The two girls stared each other down from opposite sides - Ast's eyes steady and unwavering, and Kaitlin blinking a lot and breaking eye contact awkwardly as she took in the sight of the gardens all around them.

"Now," Ast said in a pleasant but serious voice, "You likely won't have the advantage of knowing when a Desperado or a member of the Patzer Three will attack. So, for this mock battle, I'll be playing the part of a Desperado. I won't have the size, but I do have similar strength, so it won't be easy. I'll transform first. You'll need to find a moment to transform yourself, and then you need to fight. Understood?"

"Yes." Kaitlin nodded. "I think I've got it."

"Great. Let's see this in action, then. Precure!" Asterisk called out, "Advance me!"

A light burst from Ast, fading only a split-second later and leaving Cure Jet in her place. "Desperado!" she yelled in a weak attempt at imitating one of the monsters.

Kaitlin stared in shock at the silly queen. Jet frowned and glared. "What are you waiting for?" she demanded. "Transform! Desperados aren't going to just _wait _for you, you know."

"Oh yeah!" Kaitlin dug the Piece from her pocket and held it against her heart. "Precure! Advance me!"

The pleasant feeling of transformation swept over the young brunette – she was starting to get used to the sensation of turning into someone frillier, taller, stronger. There were certain parts that were still rather shocking... she doubted she'd ever be used to having pink hair, after all! Or fighting giant monsters.

The transformation ended, and Cure Grandmaster stood across from her teammate, looking much more confident than she felt. "The hopeful, brilliant challenger, Cure Grandmaster!" she introduced, saluting as she did.

"Desperado!" Jet roared again, racing for Grandmaster at breakneck speeds, fists going in for a punch.

Instinctively, Grandmaster ducked and let the small Cure topple over her. She got out from under the veteran's body and aimed a punch of her own, one that was immediately deflected. "Try harder," Jet ordered, and Grandmaster threw another hit right at the red-themed Cure's stomach. It hit, but weakly. Jet staggered back a step or so before bringing her leg up and kicking her pink counterpart, throwing the newer Cure across the courtyard.

"Ow," Grandmaster complained. "That hurt."

"Of course it did! I'm a monster!" Jet grinned. "Now, come on! Put your all into it!"

"Okay!" Grandmaster nodded.

"Why don't you try a magic attack?"

"Don't I need you for that?"

Jet shook her head, red hair flopping into her face. "You need me for purifying, yeah, but you can use your own weapons. Just say... well hell. I don't know what you're supposed to say. Make something up, I guess."

"M-make something up?"

"Well, yeah. Cure weapons are unique, I think. Just come up with something and ask for it!"

"Who do I ask?"

Jet shrugged. "How should I know? I just know I say "Jet Shiny Sword," and bam, sword. So think of something and go for it."

Grandmaster never was one for weapons. When her elementary school classmates played knights and princesses, she preferred the kings and queens on the chessboard; when some of the other students in high school started fencing as a hobby, she was still toying with different opening strategies. She ran through a mental list of things that could be used as weapons, of things she'd seen in movies, of things she'd read in books..."

"Desperados don't wait around," Jet said again, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Precure Conductress Baton!" Grandmaster exclaimed hurriedly.

At once, a large silver-grey staff topped with a crown-like adornment appeared in her left hand. She wrapped fingers around it carefully. It was heavy, not so bad that she couldn't lift it, but enough that a blow with it could cause damage. That wasn't what she intended to do with it, however. As haphazard and hurried as it was, the stick was her own weapon. She would use it as she liked. She raised it up above her head and twirled it around as a majorette might. "Precure Skewer Storm!" she exclaimed.

Wind ripped from the baton, going right at Jet.

The elder girl's eyes widened and she jumped high off the ground to avoid the gusts that Grandmaster shot at her. As the storm cleared and the queen landed, she grinned wide. "That's more like it," she praised vaguely. "You'll get the rest soon enough."

Jet closed her eyes and her uniform faded away, leaving her again as Queen Asterisk. Grandmaster followed suit. "Now what?" she asked. "We've covered history, fighting... what now?"

Ast frowned and looked deeply into Kaitlin's eyes. "I don't particularly mind what you do," she answered. "However, I have some things to take care of. I'll call for you when we're to resume lessons."

Then the queen walked off, and Kaitlin stared behind her.

_What was that about?_

* * *

"Saddle up the horses," Ast ordered. "Nathan, I have to speak with you."

The fairy was at her arm immediately. "Yes, Ast?" he asked.

"I think it's time this kingdom was run the way it needs to be run."

Nathan blinked, more out of habit than anything. It didn't affect his vision, after all. "So soon? Or should I say 'finally' instead?"

"Maybe neither, if you're thinking of keeping your hearing and other remaining senses intact."

"Ah. Of course. How does training Kaitlin go?"

Ast frowned and pushed locks of her short black hair behind her ears. "Different than expected. She's no Olympiad. That isn't to say she isn't powerful in her own right. I think that it's time to step up our game, and I wanted to know your opinion. However," she said, her lip quirking upwards, "I'm fairly sure I know it, considering what you just said."

The small bat-like fairy nodded. "I think this is our best course of action."

"Wonderful. Go get Kaitlin, then. It's time we got the plan underway."

* * *

There was silence as the two Cure rode through the wide fields of the Black Kingdom; not even the air made a sound, as the weather was strange, still, and windless. Ast's expression was strange as the atmosphere. It looked... older. Kaitlin didn't know how old the young woman was, but she couldn't be over twenty-five or so, could she?

Well, maybe she could. Maybe age worked differently here. Maybe she was even immortal.

Still, the expression looked off.

They reached a peak. From there, it was easy to see from a great distance. Both castles, White and Black, were in sight, as well as the forest and a number of other landmarks, landmarks Kaitlin didn't yet know by name.

"Do you see that?" Asterisk asked, her voice low. "The game has begun."

Kaitlin frowned. "The smoke?" It was the only thing she could think of that she might be intended to _see – _smoke blowing from the White Castle.

"No, not the smoke, the soldiers." Asterisk drew in a breath. "The soldiers are on their way here."

"Why?" And where? She couldn't see anything.

"Because it's war; they're going to attack." The queen frowned. "You know what's strange, though? You'd think they'd send ahead a scout or something, rigid as they are... they normally do things in a specific way, and this breaks that patt-"

"Desperado!"

Kaitlin jumped at the roar of a monster, but Ast just nodded cooly. "Ah. There it is."

The young brunette awkwardly tried to signal her horse to head for the Desperado, but Ast shook her head, clearly having a better idea. "Get off the horse," she ordered. "If we transform here, we can run to it. It'll be faster than a horse."

Kaitlin nodded and dismounted; Ast was already on the ground. In sync, they raised their Pieces to their heart. "Precure! Advance me!" they cried.

Transforming with Ast was different. Kaitlin had noticed it the first time, but forgotten about it as she did it alone again during practice. When they were together, Ast clutched Kaitlin's hands and spun around with her, almost as though the two were dancing. As their feet moved, their shoes appeared, followed by their sleeves and bracelets. They drew apart, and first Ast's neat black riding uniform melted into her red and black Cure dress, then Kaitlin's haphazard spare clothes became her own pink shirt and grey skirt. Ribbons burst onto their dresses in unison as Ast flicked a loose strand of hair away, triggering its transformation into bright red. Kaitlin's turned pink with a shake of her head.

The older Cure threw her hands up, as if trying to touch the sky. "The sable, miraculous player, Cure Jet!"

Her partner saluted. "The hopeful and brilliant challenger, Cure Grandmaster!"

The two looked at each other, two pairs of bright eyes meeting. Then, as if by magic, words came to them, words that tied everything together. "Moving towards a brand new victory – Gain Tempo Precure!"

As the rush of transforming faded, Jet snorted. "Well, that was unexpected."

"Y-yeah. Is that supposed to happen?"

"No idea. Let's go."

The pair ran towards the Black City, racing as fast as possible. "That's where the Desperado will be heading," Jet explained. "It's where it _always _goes."

"Does this happen a lot?"

"Depends on your definition of 'a lot,' I guess."

"Do we know what we're looking for?"

"Giant sentient form of a thing that should be neither giant, nor sentient."

"Oh."

"'Oh' is right. Run faster!"

They sped up, if such a thing was possible, moving swiftly across the plains until something large and shiny came into view. Grandmaster squinted at it. "Is that a coin?"

Jet shook her head. "Not anymore. Now, it's a Desperado."

As if to prove her point, the thing screamed its name and turned to face the girls. It had a face, Grandmaster noted. That was the strangest thing about it, apart from the fact that it was three meters tall and rolling towards them rapidly.

The girls jumped out of the way of the thing, splitting up. It protested with a wordless grunt and started rolling again, this time going for Jet alone. The small warrior leaped into the air with careful precision, not going higher than the top of the giant coin. She spun around in midair, kicking the monster with her full body strength and causing it to topple over onto the ground. Gracefully, the veteran Cure landed upon its face and began punching it.

It sat up with a start and sent her flying. "Jet!" Grandmaster called in concern.

"I'm fine!" said her partner, some distance away. "You attack it now!"

Cure Grandmaster nodded in determination, though Jet could not see. "Precure Conductress Baton!" she summoned. Her fingers curled around the heavy grey wood of the staff once again, and she raised it up as she had in practice. "Precure Skewer Storm!"

The razor-like winds that shot from the weapon hit the Desperado and harmlessly disintegrated. Grandmaster's jaw dropped. "B-but that should have worked!"

"No, it shouldn't have," came Jet's thoughtful voice from behind her. "Your element is wind, and this monster is made of metal. So that means what we need... is fire."

"I don't have any fire," the new Cure said miserably. "Well, I might, but I have no clue how to use it, and I don't think I have the energy for it either."

"No, you're right, you don't." Jet stepped forward and grinned at the taller Precure. "But I do. Jet Shiny Sword!" she summoned confidently.

A large golden sword appeared in her hands, and she ran towards the Desperado, grinning as she did. She raised her weapon up and brought it down, denting the metal coin. A slash bit into it, leaving a large scratch on its surface, and a jab put in another dent. With a smile, Jet pointed the sharp tool at the monster. "Precure Fire Burst!" she called out.

From the tip of the sword burst a ball of fire and smoke that hurled at the Desperado. As it began to melt, the light of the flame reflected off its metal and into Grandmaster's eyes; she looked away, or tried to anyway... she was seeing splotches.

"Grandmaster!" Jet called. "Come on, I need you!"

"O-okay!" She tried to run to her partner, but her temporarily useless eyes made it hard. She could almost feel Jet roll her eyes when the two finally joined hands.

"Okay, time to purify," the veteran Cure muttered. "Ready?"

"Y-yeah. I guess."

"Great. On three. One... two... three!"

"_PRECURE HEARTPIECE CAPTURE!" _

The monster roared in protest one last time before shrinking quickly, with a little 'pop' sound. Two things fell to the ground... a golden coin and a shiny bead. Grandmaster quickly picked the bead up and touched it to her belt, and it disappeared immediately. Jet nodded her approval.

_Maybe I'm getting the hang of this._

* * *

They walked back to the horses and transformed back to normal... riding was, after all, harder in a frilly skirt, or at least it was for Kaitlin.

"So," she asked as they headed back to the Black City. "What's going to happen to Black if White attacks?"

"We'll fight back, but without a king, it's difficult," Ast said. Her tone was grim; it didn't suit her. "You know the rules of chess, correct? The king is the goal. Without the king, we have no one to give the orders. It's almost an automatic loss, and White knows this."

"So what are you going to do?" Kaitlin questioned, concerned.

Ast turned to face Kaitlin. The red of the setting sun played on her hair, tinting it into a strange red quite unlike her Cure form's hair. It was dramatic, almost creepy. She paused for a moment… perhaps to maximize drama, perhaps to consider what she was saying… then, she spoke.

"Kaitlin, I'm going to promote you to king."


End file.
